


you're the light in the dark

by stormss



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Missing Scene, Pre-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28963110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormss/pseuds/stormss
Summary: Carlos swallows down his fear. He's a secure man, sure of himself just as he's sure about this relationship. It's still so new, but TK makes him feel like—like he can see the world in a whole different light. And so he tightens his grip on the potted succulent TK promised his mom would love, and knocks on the door. (Or, pre-2x01, Carlos meets Gwyneth).*Carlos Reyes Week, Day 7:Wild Card/Writer's Choice.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 25
Kudos: 232
Collections: 9-1-1 Lone Star ▶ Carlos Reyes / Tyler Kennedy "TK" Strand, Carlos Reyes Week 2021





	you're the light in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> i can't believe carlos week is over!!! a huge thank you to everyone that's left kudos and/or comments on my little contributions—it means the world! 
> 
> dedicated to [@marjansmarwani](https://marjansmarwani.tumblr.com/) and [@officereyes](https://officereyes.tumblr.com/) for being the best hosts of this event, and just for being all around wonderful people 💗
> 
> the title comes from _you!_ by lany. come say hi on [tumblr!](https://reyesstrand.tumblr.com/)

In the hectic month since the world practically ended, the whole state on the fritz with the power of the solar storm, Carlos has to admit that he doesn't think he's ever been so happy. 

It might be cliché to say, but ever since he and TK agreed on a fresh start and they both went all-in on their relationship, Carlos has been carrying himself with pride. There are still some rough days, especially since TK's going stir-crazy as he finishes up the last couple weeks of his medical leave, but Carlos finds himself discovering a whole new side of the man. Once he lets him in, for real, Carlos somehow falls even harder—he's completely enamoured with the way TK will go on tangents when talking about movies, or how his eyes flash with mischief when they get into flirty back-and-forths that usually end with a kiss or ten. They're definitely in the stage of always wanting to touch each other, which is a little difficult with TK's stitches and Carlos' refusal to mess with his healing, especially when the other man shoots him his perfectly mastered puppy-dog eyes.

But they make do. They _work,_ almost scarily so, as if they'd been meant for each other.

And in Carlos' hopeless romantic mind, they were. 

They're still moving at TK's speed—something Carlos insisted that night under the stars, for fear of pushing the other man into something he didn't want. TK had just looked at him dazedly, then, and kissed him for the first time since that failed dinner date, and every single nerve in Carlos' body was set aflame as he kissed back, his hand fitting perfectly against TK's jaw. His heart had soared that night, and hasn't come back down. But anyway, it's TK who's setting the pace, and Carlos is happy with where they're at.

He has to admit, though, that he isn't expecting the text he wakes up to. 

Carlos opens the seemingly endless text thread with TK, and ends up staring at the message for about five minutes too many, the words making his heart feel like it's about to jump out of his chest. 

> _i don't want to freak you out, but my mom would love to meet you_

He's so caught up in the message that he's still clutching his phone in his hand, any drowsiness from his post-shift nap immediately shaken away, when it vibrates with another few texts from TK, all sent thirty-seconds apart. 

> _apparently she noticed i'm smiling all the time because of you. and she's insisting on cooking you dinner_
> 
> _don't worry tho, i wanted to save your taste buds so we're ordering out instead_
> 
> _you free tn? only if you want to, of course_

Carlos' thumbs hover over his screen, the blinking cursor taunting him as he tries to come up with a response. 

He shouldn't have a problem with it—and deep down, he really doesn't. In a lot of ways, they did things backwards, but most obviously so with the fact that Carlos spoke to and interacted with Owen before he'd worked up the nerve to talk to TK. And he's always gotten along with Captain Strand, and since most of their date nights have been at the Strand residence while TK's healing, he's grown even closer with the man. But to meet TK's mom? The big-shot New York lawyer who was known for her affinity for winning huge cases? Who dropped everything in China to fly back to be with her son, joining him at every doctor's appointment to make sure he was getting the best treatment? The woman that TK talked about with admiration and unconditional love, his excitement noticeable even in his texts when he'd first let Carlos know she was coming to town?

The Strand men are close enough, and he knows it's a whole different _realm_ when it comes to TK's relationship with his mom. 

And so, yeah. Carlos thinks that it's a pretty huge step to meet Gwyneth, and it's something he so desperately wants to do properly. So he takes a _deep_ breath, and sends his reply before he can change his mind. 

> _**i'd love to meet her. is 6 good?** _

He taps his phone against the heel of his palm as he waits, strolling out of his bedroom to start some coffee. It's just past one in the afternoon now, so he mentally plots out his day as he digs cream out from his fridge. 

Finally, TK's response comes through, and Carlos can almost feel his relief through the phone. 

> _it's perfect. see you then <3 _

Carlos bites at the inside of his cheek, his heart surging with love—which, fuck, isn't that a scary emotion to be feeling after a month—as he sets out to get ready. And if there's a panicked call to Michelle in there over what outfit to wear, well, TK doesn't need to know about that. 

* * *

As the time on the clock display in the Camaro ticks over to _5:46_ , Carlos takes a calming breath and thanks whatever force that might be listening that his Tia Lucy knows the women who run the florist shop, and so he'd gotten in and out without too much trouble about prices. TK had told him what his mom would prefer, and he'd relayed that information to the elderly women he'd known since childhood, and now here he is, fingers tightening around the steering wheel as he tries to time his trip perfectly to show up when he needs to.

The Strand household comes into view just a few minutes shy of six-o'clock, and so Carlos takes his time parking along the curb and running his hands down his burgundy button-down, trying to straighten it all out. He turns off the ignition and takes one last breath, before climbing out of the car and heading up the walkway of the towering house. 

Carlos swallows down his fear. He's a secure man, sure of himself just as he's sure about this relationship. It's still so new, but TK makes him feel like—like he can see the world in a whole different light. And while he worries about not hitting it off with TK's mom, he tries to stuff that all deep down as to not dwell on it. TK's the first guy he's been with where the relationship's gotten far enough to warrant meeting the parents, and that has to mean something. _I can do this,_ he thinks, as he jogs up the porch steps. 

_It's just TK,_ he thinks, some of his nerves washing away. 

And so he tightens his grip on the potted succulent TK promised his mom would love, and knocks on the door.

"Hey," TK smiles at him, opening the door wide, before his eyes drift up and down his body. "Shit, you look good. I suddenly feel underdressed." 

"Oh, I—" Carlos stammers, shifting the plant to his other arm nervously. TK just steps closer, and squeezes his shoulder. 

"It's okay," TK whispers, clearly reading between the lines of his worry. "She's chill, I promise. I already banned them from fighting, but if you start feeling uncomfortable I won't blame you for leaving." 

"I'm not going to leave," Carlos says, finding that just this moment of the two of them alone is all he really needed. TK's eyes crinkle in the corners as a smile pulls at his mouth, before he takes Carlos' hand and twines their fingers together. He pulls him along, through the stylish open-concept that Owen takes pride in, until they're close to the noise of TK's parents chatting in the kitchen. 

"She'll love you," TK murmurs, quickly pressing a soothing kiss to the hinge of his jaw before stepping ahead of him, leading him into the kitchen. "Hey, guys, Carlos is here." 

"Officer Reyes," Owen spots him first, moving around the large island with his hand outstretched. Carlos smiles at him, and shakes his hand. "I guess I should call you Carlos when we're off-shift, huh?" 

"I'd prefer it, sir," Carlos says, turning his attention then to Gwyneth. He's taken aback for a moment, because he's always thought TK was a spitting image of his father. Looking at her, though, he's realizing he was completely wrong. 

She smiles at him, and steps forward. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Carlos." 

"You too, ma'am," Carlos shakes her hand, but is quickly pulled into a hug. He realizes he's dealing with a family of huggers, though it brings him back to memories of his own mother and what he always thought were her magic hugs that could heal him from any sadness, so he sinks into it. 

TK smirks a little from where he's standing by the fridge, and Carlos knows immediately what he's thinking: _told you so._

"Oh, call me Gwyn please, honey," Gwyneth says, pulling out of the hug. 

He awkwardly holds out the plant to her. "This is for you." 

Gwyneth's face lights up. "You're just the sweetest thing. TK, how'd you land this one?" 

"I ask myself that everyday, mom," TK says, meeting Carlos' eyes and looking sincere. He holds out a bottle of water for him, pressing it into Carlos' palm as he sidles up to him, their hips bumping.

"Hm, I might just have to explore the Austin dating pool," Gwyn jokes, pointedly looking at Owen, and Carlos feels his face flush. 

"Yeah, okay," TK mutters, shaking his head at his mother. "Should we eat?" 

At that, they move into a natural rhythm: the food they'd ordered is still warm in the containers, and they sit all around the table and exchange anecdotes while they eat. TK throws him the occasional fond look, and Carlos returns them just as easily, settling a hand on TK's knee. The energy is very casual, which is something he didn't realize he'd appreciate so much; the Strands seem to be laid-back people, presumably when Gwyn and Owen aren't going at it, and most of his stress has faded away by the end of the night when he finds that he really likes the woman. She's loud and funny and has absolutely zero filter, and Carlos can already see the close relationship she seems to have with TK, as she talks fondly about her little boy growing up, much to TK's dismay as he covers his face with his hand. 

"Hey, you were adorable," Carlos teases, after Gwyn's shown him countless pictures on her phone, ranging from TK as a toddler to what must've been high school. Her pride radiates off her, and Owen watches with a little smile on his face as TK gapes at Carlos. 

"I resent that, I'm still adorable," TK says, narrowing his eyes at him. 

Carlos grins, and kisses his knuckles. "Of course you are."

"Oh, wait 'til I get out the photo albums," Gwyn says, her smirk _so_ like TK's that it spends Carlos' mind spinning.

"Oh my god," TK half-whines, talking animatedly with his hands now. "I can't believe my mom and my boyfriend are teaming up against me. I should've known this would happen." 

Gwyn laughs and Owen makes placating noises, but Carlos is still caught on that word. _Boyfriend._ They haven't used it, yet, and TK's eyes fall on him as he clearly realizes what he's said, too. Neither of them bring it up at the table, but it's on Carlos' mind for the rest of the evening. 

As the night comes to a close, Gwyn hugs him for a significantly longer period than when he'd first come in. "Thank you, Carlos. You're good for him." 

"He's good for me, too," Carlos replies, while they're still in the hug. She pulls back and looks up at him with fond eyes, and she squeezes his arm before moving out of the way so he can shake Owen's hand, before he's thanking them both for having him. 

"I'll walk you out," TK says, piping up from where he'd been leaning against the wall. 

He and Carlos walk in step with each other, and once they're outside, TK gives him a small smile. 

"Thank you for coming," TK whispers, loosely crossing his arms over his chest. His range of motion's getting better every day, and Carlos feels warm at the thought that he's slowly but surely healing. "I—well, it means a lot to me." 

"Of course, Ty," Carlos says, placing a hand on TK's neck and gently rubbing the skin there with his thumb. He has to bring it up, though, to see if TK's really on the same page as him with their relationship. "So, _boyfriend_ , huh?"

TK closes his eyes, his eyebrows furrowing the tiniest bit. "Yeah, I guess it slipped out?" 

"I liked it," Carlos admits, and TK blinks his eyes open, looking at him with surprise. 

"Yeah?" TK asks, stepping closer. 

"Mhm," Carlos confirms, a smile spreading over his face once TK's fully in his space. "I'd like to call you my boyfriend. If that's what you want." 

A full grin breaks out over TK's face. "I do want that." 

He kisses Carlos, then, both hands coming up to frame his face. It's a sweet kiss, love pouring out of it, and Carlos feels like he could float away. 

"Well, boyfriend," Carlos says, once they've pulled back to breathe, their foreheads pressed together. "I'll see you tomorrow?" 

TK surges forward to press one more kiss to his mouth, before stepping back. "Yeah. Text me when you're home?" 

"I will," Carlos promises, squeezing TK's hand once more before he starts heading toward his car. He looks back once and waves when he finds TK still watching him, and he smiles like a lovesick teenager. 

Once he gets home, he shoots TK a text, and less than a minute later, he feels his heart surge at the response: 

> _in case you were wondering, mom's still talking about you. i think she likes you more than me, now_

He takes a breath before replying. 

> _**i guess that just means you get to steal my mom's heart next, then** _

Carlos doesn't know if it's moving too quickly, but he can't wait to take TK home. He sees a _future_ for them, a real one, and he doesn't want to hold back anymore. He grins down at his phone when TK replies. 

> _i can't wait <33_

He goes to bed feeling light as a cloud, mind occupied with nothing but his boyfriend. And it's a feeling he thinks he'll cherish for a long, _long_ time. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! comments/kudos are always appreciated <3


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